SpeedReach plan needs more work: Telstra
"If they spent less time announcing and more time working, we might actually have seen a real network plan by now," a Telstra spokesperson told ZDNet Australia by telephone this afternoon.
The group of nine telcos -- AAPT, Internode, iiNet, Macquarie Telecom, Optus, PowerTel, Primus, Soul and TransACT -- today released an 87-page document prepared by consultants the Allen Consulting Group and Dandolo Partners.
The report details the telcos' model for funding and operating a national fibre network that could be used equally by any telco to provide broadband services. It comes in response to Telstra's own plan, and welcomes -- but does not require -- Telstra's participation.
"After many months of discussion with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and after countless public statements, Telstra has still not released the details of its plan to rollout a high speed, high bandwidth Internet network across Australia," Optus chief executive officer Paul O'Sullivan told journalists at a press conference today.
But the Telstra spokesperson belittled its rivals' own disclosure. "We've been in serious talks with the ACCC for some time ... serious talks about a real network plan.
"This is just a consultant's report. We will release details of our plan once the ACCC is happy with the proposal."
The spokesperson said Telstra had already rejected the group of nine's proposal in May and would proceed with its own plans.